TARAXACUM ALEPPICUM

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Taraxacum. Disturber (from the Arabic name, tarakhshagog, or

talkhchakok, for a bitter herb) Namely dandelion.

Aleppicum (L) Of Halab (Aleppo), N Syria.

General description:- Perennial herbs with a tap-root.

Leaves:-

1) Densely and shortly lobed, the

a) lobes, triangular, ± deflexed, shortly dentate, petiole broadly winged.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, relatively small (up to 30 mm wide).

2) Phyllaries, outer erect, with broad scarious margins.

3) Florets, more than 25;

a) ligules, pale to bright yellow above, pinkish or carmine beneath.

4) Stigmas, yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, (incl cone) 3-3.5 mm, straw-coloured, spinulose, towards the apex,

cone short; beak, 6-8 mm, rather stout.

Key features:-

1) Leaf lobes, ± deflexed.

2) Capitula, up to 30 mm wide

3) Achenes, 3-3.5 mm.

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Habitat:- Rocky slopes and phrygana, gorges, doline, 200-1400 m

Distribution:- Scattered throughout mainland Greece and the Ionian islands and

west to W. Syria and Palastine. Limited distribution on Crete, mainly around the

four massifs.

Flowering time:- Mar-June

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis